Vehicle with autonomous driving capability

ABSTRACT

A vehicle with autonomous driving capability is adapted for at least two different driving modes including a first driving mode configured for a first type of autonomous driving and a second driving mode configured for the autonomous vehicle being guided by a pilot vehicle in such a manner that the autonomous vehicle follows the pilot vehicle.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The invention relates to a vehicle with autonomous driving capability.The invention is further related to a method and a computer programcomprising software code means for performing the steps of the method.The invention is further related to a control unit configured forperforming the steps of the method. The invention is further related toa traffic control system for controlling at least one vehicle withautonomous driving capability.

The invention can be applied in heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks,buses and construction equipment. Although the invention will bedescribed with respect to a truck, the invention is not restricted tothis particular vehicle, but may also be used in other vehicles such ascars, buses, construction equipment such as articulated haulers andwheel loaders, boats and aircrafts.

An autonomous vehicle may be defined as a self-driving vehicle, which isone that can accelerate, brake and steer itself. Further, an autonomousvehicle may be capable of sensing its environment and navigating withouthuman input or external control. An autonomous vehicle may be partiallyor fully autonomous. For instance, when a vehicle is in an autonomousmode, some or all of the driving aspects of vehicle operation can behandled by a vehicle control system. In such cases, computing deviceslocated onboard and/or in a server network could be operable to carryout functions such as planning a driving route, sensing aspects of thevehicle, sensing the environment of the vehicle, and controlling drivefunctions such as steering, accelerating, and braking. Thus, anautonomous vehicle may reduce or eliminate the need for humaninteraction in various aspects of vehicle operation. A fully autonomousvehicle is able to perform all driving functions without supervision ofa driver and any external control.

Reaching a level of full autonomy, of a truck is difficult and highlylikely will be very costly due to a lot of redundancy in the systems ofvehicle technologies and infrastructure technologies to cope with allpossible traffic events in a complex traffic environment. This resultsin that very unlikely traffic events in the most challengingenvironments work as a barrier for obtaining the benefits of autonomy,which typically occur in less complex and more predictable trafficenvironments.

EP 2 881 926 A1 relates to a method for controlling movement of a groupof road vehicles. The group of road vehicles comprises a lead vehicleand at least one additional vehicle. The lead vehicle comprises onecontrol unit and a communication means. The at least one additionalvehicle comprises a second control unit, which is adapted to in anautomated mode have the movement of the at least one vehicle controlledby the control unit of the lead vehicle.

DE 198 21 163 A relates to a method for a driver assistance system whichuses an assist unit which receives momentary environment parameters of atraffic situation. These are compared with stored parameters for theassist system. The system is deactivated if they lie outside generatedpermitted parameters and activated if inside.

It is desirable to provide a vehicle creating conditions for improvingtraffic security for autonomous vehicles in a cost effective way.

According to an aspect of the invention, a vehicle with autonomousdriving capability is provided, wherein the autonomous vehicle isadapted for at least two different driving modes comprising a firstdriving mode configured for a first type of autonomous driving and asecond driving mode configured for the autonomous vehicle being guidedby a pilot vehicle in such a manner that the autonomous vehicle followsthe pilot vehicle.

The pilot vehicle may alternatively be called a lead vehicle. In otherwords, the pilot vehicle may be seen as a guide for the autonomousvehicle. The autonomous vehicle may correspondingly, in the seconddriving mode, be called a following vehicle. According to a one example,the autonomous vehicle may follow a path that the pilot vehicle hastraveled.

The “guiding” may be performed in that the autonomous vehicle firstautomatically identifies and approves the pilot vehicle and then followsthe pilot vehicle towards a any destination determined by the pilotvehicle or a predetermined destination in the second driving mode. Thus,the autonomous vehicle may be equipped with a system for identificationof the pilot vehicle.

The pilot vehicle may be a car, such as a taxi, or any otherintelligently moving object such as a bicyclist. According to oneexample, the pilot vehicle is driven by a driver in the form of a human.According to a further example, the driver is positioned in or at thepilot vehicle and driving the pilot vehicle. According to analternative, the pilot vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, which iscapable of and allowed to drive autonomously for guiding the autonomousvehicle in its second driving mode. The pilot vehicle would in such acase be of a higher level of autonomy than the autonomous vehicle.

According to one example, the autonomous vehicle may be guided while itis positioned behind the pilot vehicle. According to one example, theautonomous vehicle is positioned directly behind the pilot vehicle inthe second driving mode. Thus, the pilot vehicle is adapted to guide theautonomous vehicle while driving in front of the autonomous vehicle. Thepilot vehicle and the autonomous vehicle may then be seen as atwo-vehicle-convoy. By using a system for distance limitation, thedistance between the pilot vehicle and the autonomous vehicle may bekept to a minimum thereby avoiding any other vehicles or moving objectsto enter the space between the pilot vehicle and the autonomous vehicle.

According to a further example, by the term “guiding” is meant that theautonomous vehicle follows the pilot vehicle somehow. According to onevariant, it may be realized by the autonomous vehicle being capable towirelessly detect the movements of the pilot vehicle and drive inresponse to the detected movements for following a path of the pilotvehicle. Thus, in this variant, there is no requirement fir anycommunication between the autonomous vehicle and the pilot vehicleduring driving. More specifically, the autonomous vehicle may benavigated based on the movements of the pilot vehicle. According toanother variant or complement, it may be realized by the pilot vehiclesending navigation signals, such as environmental, positional and/ordirectional information, to the autonomous vehicle and that theautonomous vehicle drives in response to the received signals. Accordingto still another variant, it may be realized by the pilot vehiclesending driving control signals, such as acceleration, braking andsteering signals to the autonomous vehicle and that the autonomousvehicle is operated, in response to the received signals.

According to one example, the second type of autonomy is a lower levelof autonomy than the first type of autonomy. The lower level may berepresented by that the pilot vehicle supports in the navigation of theautonomous vehicle. Such support may be passive (by the pilot vehiclejust driving in front of the autonomous vehicle without sending anysignals to the autonomous vehicle) or active in sending navigationsignals, such as environmental, positional and/or directionalinformation.

According to a further example, the autonomous vehicle comprises drivefunctions, such as a system for steering the vehicle, a system forpowering the vehicle and a system for braking the vehicle. Further, theautonomous vehicle comprises a system for sensing the environment of thevehicle (such as radar or camera). Further, the autonomous vehicle maycomprise a control unit operably connected to the sensing system, thesteering system, the powering system and braking system for driving theautonomous vehicle in response to the sensed environment. Further, theautonomous vehicle may comprise a system for navigating the vehicle withfunctions such as planning a driving route.

Hereby, the first driving mode of the autonomous vehicle may bepredefined for less complex and more predictable traffic environments,such as a highway, while the second driving mode may be predefined for amore challenging traffic environment, such as a city.

According to one example, a kind of wireless “electronic towbar”arrangement may be used between the pilot vehicle and the autonomousvehicle while driving after each other (in a convoy).

According to one embodiment, the first type of autonomy comprises afully or substantially fully autonomous driving. According to oneexample, by “fully” autonomous is meant that the autonomous vehicle iscompletely self driving. In other words, there is no driver interventionand no external control of any driving operations. Further,“substantially fully” autonomous driving may comprise that theautonomous vehicle is periodically assisted or controlled from anexternal source, such as a central control hub, somehow. Such anexternal source may comprise a human intervention or a powerful computerto handle the situation. According to one example, it may be realized inthat an external source supports the driving or fully takes over thedriving in certain situations, such as in a more complicated trafficsituation arising in an otherwise less complex and more predictabletraffic environment. The autonomous vehicle may call for assistance whensuch a situation is identified. Alternatively, the autonomous vehiclemay be monitored and the external source supports automatically whensuch a situation is identified.

According to a further embodiment, the first type of autonomy is adaptedfor autonomously driving the vehicle towards a destination in responseto received driving instructions regarding a route or destination. Thus,it is in contrast to the second driving mode, which is represented byfollowing the pilot vehicle along a route or to a destination.Especially, there is no requirement in the second driving mode for theautonomous vehicle to have information about a route or destination.

According to a further embodiment, the first type of autonomy is adaptedfor autonomously driving the vehicle towards a destination without anypilot vehicle guidance. According to one example, the first type ofautonomy is adapted for navigating the autonomous vehicle towards adestination without any pilot vehicle guidance.

According to a further embodiment, the first driving mode is associatedto a first geographic region defined as secured for the first type ofautonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicle is allowed to be driven in thefirst type of autonomy in the first geographic region. According to oneexample, said first geographic region (traffic area) is a predeterminedarea with a comparatively non-complicated (easy) driving situation, suchas a road, stretch with no opposite traffic, few or no intersections,few or no pedestrians and bikes etc., such as a part of a highway.

According to one example, the autonomous vehicle has the capacity todrive autonomously in the first geographic region.

According to a further embodiment, the second driving mode is associatedto a second geographic region defined as not secured for the first typeof autonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicle is not allowed to be drivenin the first type of autonomy in the second geographic region. Accordingto one example, the second geographic region (traffic area) may be apredetermined area with a comparatively complicated (difficult) drivingsituation, such as a village or town with many intersections,roundabouts, traffic lights, traffic signs and moving objects, such aspedestrians and bikes etc. According to another example, the secondgeographic region is defined by a region between highways.

According to one example, the autonomous vehicle does not have, thecapacity to drive in the second geographic region but the pilot vehiclehas the capacity to drive in the second geographic region. For example,the pilot vehicle may be a more advanced autonomous vehicle or it mayhave a driver.

According to one example, the first and second, geographic regions aredefined on a digital map. Thus, a navigation system of the autonomousvehicle may comprise the digital map. The position of the autonomousvehicle with regard to the first and second geographic regions may bedetermined via GPS. According to one example, a specific pilot vehicleis identified for being associated to and guiding a certain autonomousvehicle that approaches a check-out point of the first geographic regionand/or a check-in point to the second geographic region. A signal may begenerated automatically and sent to the identified pilot vehicle with arequest for guiding the autonomous vehicle from said “check-out point ofthe first geographic region or a check-in point to the second geographicregion to a predetermined destination.

According to a further embodiment, the second driving mode is configuredfor a second type of autonomy, which comprises an autonomous followingof the pilot vehicle. According to one example, the second type ofautonomy does not require any input of control signals from the pilotvehicle. Thus, in this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle isself-driving in the second driving mode.

According to a further development of the last-mentioned embodiment, theautonomous vehicle comprises means for detecting a movement of the pilotvehicle and corresponding to the detected movement driving theautonomous vehicle behind the pilot vehicle. The autonomous vehicle isdriven in response to the detected movements.

According to a still further development of the last-mentionedembodiment, the autonomous vehicle comprises means for detecting anorientation or direction of the pilot vehicle and/or a distance betweenthe autonomous vehicle and the pilot vehicle. The autonomous vehicle isdriven in response to the detected information.

According to one example, the follower (the autonomous vehicle) readsthe distance and orientation of the lead vehicle (the pilot vehicle)with frequent sampling. The sample information can then be gathered andthen describe the path the lead vehicle has followed. The follower canthen drive the same path with a defined gap or headway.

According to a further embodiment, the second driving mode is configuredfor a non-autonomous driving mode. Thus, in this embodiment, theautonomous vehicle is not fully self-driving in the second driving mode.According to one example, the autonomous vehicle is driven based oncontrol signals from the pilot vehicle in the second driving mode.According to one alternative, the pilot vehicle sends navigationalinformation to the autonomous vehicle.

According to one example, the lead vehicle can communicate its positionto the follower in a known coordinate system. The follower can thenfollow in the lead vehicles “virtual tracks”, also called snail trail.The more vehicle data, e.g. heading and time, the lead vehicle reportsthe better the following performance. The same approach can be used whenthe follower is using its own sensors to measure its relative orabsolute positioning to the lead vehicle.

According to a further example, the lead vehicle can communicatereferences and its positioning towards the references. For example canthe lead vehicle communicate the lateral distance it has to a lanemarking and the follower can position itself likewise and follow thelead vehicle with as onboard sensor e.g. radar. If references are usedfor triangulation also longitudinal distance to the leader can beestimated in the same manner.

According to a further example, the lead vehicle can communicate a path(snail trail) in a known coordinate system which the follower can followeither depending on communicated time at each positions on the path orby measured distance to the vehicle ahead.

According to another alternative or complement, the pilot vehicle sendsdriving signals, such as acceleration, braking and steering signals, tothe autonomous vehicle. According to one example, the autonomous vehicleis driven from the pilot vehicle in the second driving mode of theautonomous vehicle. Certain systems, such as safety related systems ofthe autonomous vehicle may however still be operated by the autonomousvehicle while the steering, powering and braking of the autonomousvehicle is performed or at least initiated by the pilot vehicle.According to one example, the term “driving the autonomous vehicle”comprises an at least partly drive of the autonomous vehicle. In otherwords, “driving the autonomous vehicle” may comprise steering theautonomous vehicle and/or powering (accelerating/decelerating) theautonomous vehicle, etc. Thus, at least part of the controlling ordriving of the autonomous vehicle may be taken over by the pilot vehiclefrom the autonomous vehicle.

According to a further example, the autonomous vehicle is driven basedon driving control signals from a control unit in the pilot vehicle inthe second driving mode According to one example, a control unit in theautonomous vehicle is adapted to receive the driving control signalsfrom the control unit of the pilot vehicle and in response thereto senddriving control signals to different drive systems of the autonomousvehicle. According to an alternative, the control unit of the pilotvehicle directly controls the different drive systems of the autonomousvehicle.

According to a further embodiment, the second driving mode is configuredfor driving the autonomous vehicle based on navigation and/or drivingcontrol signals generated by a control unit in the pilot vehicle.

According to a further embodiment, the first driving mode is configuredtier driving the autonomous vehicle based on navigation and/or drivingcontrol signals generated by a control unit in the autonomous vehicle.

According to a further embodiment, the autonomous vehicle comprisesmeans for verifying that a vehicle has the capacity for being the pilotvehicle. Thus, a verification process may be performed before anypiloting/guiding is initiated.

According to a farther embodiment, the autonomous vehicle is a goods ormaterial transporting vehicle. According to one example, the autonomousvehicle is a truck. According to one embodiment, the pilot vehicle is acar. According to one example, the car is associated to a taxioperation. The taxi operation may be operated via the internet.

According to a further aspect of the invention, it regards a method fordriving a vehicle with autonomous driving capability according to anyone of the preceding embodiments and examples, characterized by the stepof allowing guiding of the autonomous vehicle via the pilot vehicle inthe second driving mode.

According to one embodiment, the method comprises the step of detectinga movement of the pilot vehicle and the step of driving the autonomousvehicle in response to the detected movement of the pilot vehicle in thesecond driving mode.

According to a further embodiment, the method comprises the step ofreceiving navigation and/or driving control signals from the pilotvehicle and the step of driving the autonomous vehicle in response tothe received signals in the second driving mode. According to onealternative, the method comprises the step of receiving navigationand/or driving control signals for the autonomous vehicle from the pilotvehicle simultaneously with the pilot vehicle being driven.

According to a further alternative, the method comprises the step ofreceiving navigation and/or driving control signals for the autonomousvehicle based on driving manoeuvers performed by a driver of the pilotvehicle.

According to one example, the method comprises the step of receivingdriving control signals for the autonomous vehicle based on drivingmaneuvers performed by a driver of the pilot vehicle. According to onerealization of this example, the driver of the pilot vehicle hasinformation regarding the driving characteristics of the autonomousvehicle, such as steering, accelerating, decelerating etc, and drivesthe pilot vehicle accordingly so that the autonomous vehicle can follow,wherein the driving manoeuvers performed by the driver of the pilotvehicle are used also for driving the autonomous vehicle.

According to a further alternative, the method comprises the step ofmodifying the navigation and/or driving control signals received fromthe pilot vehicle and outputting driving control signals modifiedaccordingly for driving the autonomous vehicle. Thus, according to thisexample, the control unit of the autonomous vehicle performs themodifications of the received control signals.

According, to a further embodiment, the method comprises the step ofverifying that a vehicle has the capacity of being the pilot vehicle.Thus, the verification procedure is adapted to secure that the pilotvehicle requesting control is approved.

According to one alternative, the method comprises the step of detectinga pattern of the pilot vehicle, comparing the detected pattern with apredetermined pattern and confirming the pilot vehicle if the detectedpattern corresponds to the predetermined pattern.

The first step in autonomous vehicle following is to identify theleader. It is crucial to follow the right leader. The identification canbe made in different manner where communication can be insufficient ifthe origin of the communication is unknown. Identification can be madee.g. by that the leader is communicating a paten or similar (signals ormovements) that can be pickup by the autonomous follower e.g. flashing alight and communicating or predefine how the flashing pattern shouldlook like. If the wrong leader is picked can functional safety bejeopardized.

According to a further alternative, the method comprises the step ofreceiving an identification signal from the pilot vehicle, comparing thereceived identification signal with a predetermined signal andconfirming the pilot vehicle if the detected signal corresponds to thepredetermined signal.

According to a further alternative, the method comprises the step ofsending a signal to the pilot vehicle with information regarding astarting point where the pilot vehicle should initiate driving of theautonomous vehicle. The starting point may be a point of entry to asecond geographic region defined as “not secured for the first type ofautonomy”. Alternatively, the starting point may be a goods receiving ordelivery point, a service workshop etc. According to a furtheralternative, the method comprises the step of sending a signal to thepilot vehicle with information regarding a time when the pilot vehicleshould initiate driving of the autonomous vehicle.

According to a further alternative, the method comprises the step ofsending a signal to the pilot vehicle with information regarding adestination for the autonomous vehicle. The destination may be a pointof entry to a first geographic region defined as “secured to the firsttype of autonomy”. Alternatively, the destination may be a goodsreceiving or delivery point, a service workshop etc.

According to a further alternative, the method comprises the step ofsending a signal to the pilot vehicle with information regarding drivingcharacteristics of the autonomous vehicle, which may be certaincharacteristics associated to the type or model of the autonomousvehicle and/or payload. Such driving characteristics of the autonomousvehicle may be used by the pilot vehicle for planting and executing theguiding of the autonomous vehicle.

According to a further aspect of the invention, it regards a computerprogram comprising software code means for performing the steps of anyof the method embodiments and examples above when said program is run ona computer.

According to a further aspect of the invention, it regards a controlunit for a vehicle with autonomous driving capability characterized inthat the control unit comprises software code means configured toperform the step(s) according to any one of the method embodiments andexamples above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, it regards a trafficcontrol system comprising

at least one vehicle with autonomous driving capability, wherein theautonomous vehicle is adapted for at least two different driving modescomprising a first driving mode configured for a first type ofautonomous driving and a second driving mode configured for theautonomous vehicle being guided by a pilot vehicle in such a manner thatthe autonomous vehicle follows the pilot vehicle,

at least one pilot vehicle,

a control means having a software code defining

a first geographic region defined as secured for the first type ofautonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicle is allowed to be driven in thefirst type of autonomy in the first geographic region, and

a second geographic region defined as not secured for the first type ofautonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicle is not allowed to be driven inthe first type of autonomy in the second geographic region,

wherein the pilot vehicle has the capacity to drive in the secondgeographic region and is allowed to guide the autonomous vehicle in thesecond geographic region.

According to one example, the control means is provided in a distantcontrol unit/hub/center. According to an alternative or complement, thecontrol means is at least partially provided in at least one of theautonomous vehicle and the pilot vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the control means is adapted to call for apilot vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is in the first geographicregion and approaches the second geographic region.

According to a further development of the last-mentioned embodiment, thecall comprises information regarding at least one of a starting pointWhere the pilot vehicle should initiate guiding of the autonomousvehicle, a time when the pilot vehicle should initiate guiding of theautonomous vehicle and a destination for the autonomous vehicle.

Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention aredisclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detaileddescription of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view from above of an autonomous truck on a highway,

FIG. 2a is a side view of the autonomous truck guided by a pilot car,

FIG. 2b is a side view of the autonomous truck guided and controlled bya pilot car,

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the autonomous truck and the pilot car indifferent geographic regions defined as “secured for autonomy” and “notsecured for autonomy”,

FIG. 4a is a block diagram of different units in the autonomous truckaccording to a first embodiment,

FIG. 4b is a block diagram of different units in the autonomous truckaccording to a second embodiment and the pilot car,

FIG. 5a is a schematic view of the autonomous truck according to FIG. 4aguided by the pilot car in an intersection,

FIG. 5b is a schematic view of the autonomous truck according to FIG. 4bguided by the pilot car in an intersection,

FIG. 6-8 are block diagrams of different embodiment methods, and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a traffic system for monitoring aplurality of autonomous trucks and the pilot cars in differentgeographic regions defined as “secured for a first type of autonomousdriving” and “not secured for the first type of autonomous driving”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic view from above of a vehicle with autonomousdriving capability 100 according to a first embodiment in operation on ahighway. The autonomous vehicle 100 is armed by a cargo moving vehicle,and more specifically by a truck. The autonomous vehicle 100 will in thefollowing, for ease of presentation, be referred to as an autonomoustruck 100.

The autonomous truck 100 is adapted for at least two different drivingmodes comprising a first driving mode configured for a first type ofautonomous driving and a second driving mode configured for theautonomous truck being guided by a pilot vehicle 200, see FIGS. 2a and2b (which will be described in more detail below), in such a manner thatthe autonomous truck 100 follows the pilot vehicle. The first type ofautonomy comprises a fully or substantially fully autonomous driving.The first type of autonomy is adapted for autonomously driving the truck100 towards a destination in response to received driving instructionsregarding a route or destination. The first type of autonomy is adaptedfor autonomously driving the truck 100 towards a destination without anypilot vehicle guidance.

The first driving mode is associated to a first geographic region 10,10′ defined as secured for the first type of autonomy, see FIG. 3,wherein the autonomous truck 100 is allowed to be driven in the firsttype of autonomy in the first geographic region. The second driving modeis associated to a second geographic region 20 defined as not securedfor the first type of autonomy, wherein the autonomous truck 100 is notallowed to be driven in the first type of autonomy in the secondgeographic region.

The autonomous truck 100 is in FIG. 1 in the first driving mode in whichit is controlled by a control unit (which will be described in moredetail below) in the autonomous truck 100. The autonomous truck 100comprises a system for sensing the environment, which may comprise ashort-range radar in a forward-facing arc 101, and a longer-range unitthat scans in a much smaller forward-facing arc 103. The autonomoustruck 100 is, according to the first embodiment, adapted be operatedwithout a human at all in the first driving mode. Alternatively, theautonomous truck 100 may be adapted to be operated with limited humanintervention in the first driving mode.

FIG. 2a is a side view of the autonomous truck 100 in a first variant ofthe second driving mode, in which it is guided by the pilot car 200. Thesecond driving mode is configured for a second type of autonomy, whichcomprises an autonomous following of the pilot car 200. The autonomoustruck 100 comprises means for detecting a movement of the pilot car(such as the radar and/or camera) and corresponding to the detectedmovement drive the autonomous truck 100 behind the pilot car 200. Morespecifically, said detection means is adapted for detecting anorientation or direction of the pilot car and/or a distance between theautonomous truck 100 and the pilot car 200. In the first variant, thepilot car 100 passively guides the autonomous truck 200 in that itdrives towards a destination while the autonomous truck 100 is adaptedfor following a path of the pilot car 200.

The pilot cat 200 is formed by a passenger car and will in thefollowing, for ease of presentation, be referred to as a pilot car 200.The pilot car 200 is, according to the first embodiment, adapted beoperated by a human driver in the pilot car. Alternatively, the pilotcar 200 may be adapted to be operated without a human driver in thepilot car. According to a further example, the pilot car 200 may beadapted to be operated autonomously or semi-autonomously.

FIG. 2b is a side view of the autonomous truck 100 in a second variantof the second driving mode, in which the autonomous truck 100 isactively guided and/or controlled by a control unit in a pilot vehicle200. More specifically, the autonomous truck 100 and the pilot vehicle200 are adapted for a wireless connection for transferring signalsbetween them.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of two first geographic regions 10,10′defined as “secured for a first type of autonomy” and a secondgeographic region 20 defined as “not secured for the first type ofautonomy”.

The first geographic region (traffic area) 10,10′ is a predeterminedarea with a comparatively non-complicated (easy) driving situation, suchas a road stretch with no opposite traffic, few or no intersections, fewor no pedestrians and bikes etc, and is exemplified as a part of ahighway. The first, autonomous, driving mode is associated to the firstgeographic region 10,10′ defined as “secured for the first type ofautonomy”, wherein the autonomous truck 100 is allowed to be drivenautonomously in the first geographic region.

The second geographic region (traffic area) 20 is a predetermined areacomprising a region with a comparatively complicated (difficult) drivingsituation, such as a village or town with many intersections,roundabouts, traffic lights and signs and moving objects, such aspedestrians and bikes etc. According to the shown example, the secondgeographic region is defined by a region between highways. The seconddriving mode is associated to the second geographic region 20 defined as“not secured for the first type of autonomy”, wherein the autonomoustruck 100 is not allowed to be driven in the first type of autonomy inthe second geographic region. Instead, the autonomous truck 100 isallowed to be guided by the pilot car 200 in the second geographicregion.

According to the example shown, the autonomous truck 100 travels inconsecutive order from a first one of the first geographic regions 10 tothe second geographic region 20 and then to a second one of the firstgeographic regions 10′. A check-in point 30 is provided in the interfacebetween the first geographic region 10 and the second geographic region20. A destination 40 is indicated within the second geographic region20. A cheek-out point 50 is provided in the interface between the secondgeographic region 20 and the second one of the first geographic regions10′.

According to the example shown, the check-in point 30 is provided in thefirst one of the first geographic regions 10 and the check-out point 50is provided in the second one of the first geographic regions 10′. Eachone of the check-in point 30 and the check-out point 50 is formed by anarea beside a by-road connected to the highway, which is sufficientlength for housing at least the pilot car 200, preferably for housing atleast the autonomous vehicle 100 and more preferably for housing atleast one, pair of pilot car 200 and autonomous vehicle 100 positionedafter each other in the driving direction so that a verificationprocedure may be performed while both vehicles are in a standstillstate.

FIG. 4a is a block diagram of different units in the autonomous truck100 according to a first embodiment. The autonomous truck 100 comprisesvarious subsystems such as a propulsion system 102, a sensor system 104,a control system 106 and a computer system 108. Further, each of thesubsystems may be interconnected. Thus, one or more of the describedsubsystems of the vehicle 100 may be divided up into additionalfunctional or physical components, or combined into fewer functional orphysical components.

The propulsion system 102 may include components operable to providepowered motion for the autonomous truck 100. The propulsion system 102comprises an engine/motor, an energy source, a transmission andwheels/tires. The engine/motor may be formed by an internal combustionengine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. According to thisexample, the engine is a diesel engine.

The energy source may be a source of energy that may, in full or inpart, power the engine/motor. Examples of energy sources contemplatedwithin the scope of the present disclosure include gasoline, diesel,other petroleum-based fuels, propane, other compressed gas based fuels,ethanol, solar panels, batteries, and other sources of electrical power.The energy source(s) could additionally or alternatively include anycombination of fuel tanks, batteries, capacitors, and/or flywheels. Theenergy source could also provide energy for other systems of theautonomous truck 100.

The transmission comprises elements that are operable to transmitmechanical power from the engine/motor to the wheels/tires. Thetransmission comprises a gearbox, a clutch, a differential, and a driveshaft. Other components of transmission are possible. The drive shaftscould include one or more axles that could be coupled to the one or morewheels/tires.

The sensor system 104 may comprise several elements such as a GlobalPositioning System (GPS), a radar (and as an alternative or complement alaser rangefinder/LIDAR and a camera), a steering sensor, and athrottle/brake sensor. The GPS comprises a transceiver operable toprovide information regarding the position of the autonomous truck 100with respect to the Earth. The radar may represent a system thatutilizes radio signals to sense objects, and in some cases their speedand heading, within the local environment of the truck 100.Additionally, the radar may have a plurality of antennas configured totransmit and receive radio signals. The steering sensor comprises asystem that senses the steering angle of the truck 100.

The throttle/brake sensor comprises a system that senses the position ofeither the throttle position or brake position of the vehicle 100. Insome embodiments, separate sensors may measure the throttle position andbrake position. In some embodiments, the throttle/brake sensor maymeasure the angle of both the gas pedal (throttle) and brake pedal.

The control system 106 may comprise various elements including asteering unit, throttle, brake unit, a sensor fusion algorithm, acomputer vision system, a navigation/pathing system, and an obstacleavoidance system. The steering unit could represent any combination ofmechanisms that may be operable to adjust the heading of vehicle 100.The throttle could control, for instance, the operating speed of theengine/motor and thus control the speed of the vehicle 100. The brakeunit could be operable to decelerate the vehicle 100.

The navigation/pathing system could be configured to determine a drivingpath for the truck 100. The navigation/pathing system may additionallyupdate the driving path dynamically while the truck 100 is in operation.In some embodiments, the navigation/pathing system could incorporatedata from the GPS, and known maps so as to determine the driving pathfor truck 100.

The obstacle avoidance system could represent a control systemconfigured to evaluate potential obstacles based on sensor data andcontrol the vehicle 100 to avoid or otherwise negotiate the potentialobstacles.

Further, the control system 106 comprises a wireless communicationsystem providing means for the truck 100 to communicate with deviceswithin its environment. The wireless communication system is configuredto wirelessly communicate with one or more devices directly or via acommunication network. For example, wireless communication system coulduse 3G cellular communication, such as CDMA, EVDO, GSM/GPRS, or 4Gcellular communication, such as WiMAX or LTE. Alternatively, wirelesscommunication system could communicate with a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN), for example, using WiFi. In some embodiments, wirelesscommunication system could communicate directly with a device, forexample, using an infrared link, Bluetooth, or ZigBee. Other wirelessprotocols, such as various vehicular communication systems, are possiblewithin the context of the disclosure. For example, the wirelesscommunication system could include one or more dedicated short rangecommunications (DSRC) devices that could include public and/or privatedata communications between vehicles.

The power supply may provide power to various components of the truck100 and could represent, for example, a rechargeable lithium-ion orlead-acid battery.

Many or all of the functions of the truck 100 are controlled by computersystem 108. Computer system 108 may include at least one control unit orprocessor 110 (which could include at least one microprocessor) thatexecutes instructions 114 stored in a non-transitory computer readablemedium, such as the data storage 112. The computer system 108 may alsorepresent a plurality of computing devices that may serve to controlindividual components or subsystems of the vehicle 100 in a distributedfashion. In some embodiments, data storage 112 may contain instructions(e.g., program logic) executable by the processor 110 to execute variousfunctions of vehicle 100. Data storage may contain additionalinstructions as well, including instructions to transmit data to,receive data from, interact with, and/or control one or more of thepropulsion system 102, the sensor system 104 and the control system 106.In addition to the instructions, the data storage 114 may store datasuch as roadway maps, path information, among other information. Suchinformation may be used by the truck 100 and computer system 108 duringthe operation of the truck 100 in the autonomous, semi-autonomous(and/or manual modes).

The computer system 108 may control the function of the vehicle 100based on inputs received from various subsystems (e.g., propulsionsystem 102, sensor system 104, and control system 106). For example, thecomputer system 108 may utilize input from the sensor system 104 inorder to estimate the output produced by the propulsion system 102 andthe control system 106. Depending upon the embodiment, the computersystem 108 could be operable to monitor many aspects of the vehicle 100and its subsystems. In some embodiments, the computer system 108 maydisable some or all functions of the vehicle 100 based on signalsreceived from sensor system 104.

The components of the vehicle 100 could be configured to work in aninterconnected fashion with other components within or outside theirrespective systems. For instance, in an example embodiment, the cameracould capture a plurality of images that could represent informationabout a state of an environment of the vehicle 100 operating in anautonomous mode. The state of the environment could include parametersof the road on which the vehicle is operating. For example, the computervision system may be able to recognize the slope (grade) or otherfeatures based on the plurality of images of a roadway. Additionally,the combination of Global Positioning System and the features recognizedby the computer vision system may be used with map data stored in thedata storage to determine specific road parameters. Further, the radarunit may also provide information about the surroundings of the vehicle.

In other words, a combination of various sensors (which could be termedinput-indication and output-indication sensors) and the computer system108 could interact to provide an indication of an input provided tocontrol the truck 100 or an indication of the surroundings of the truck100. In some embodiments, the computer system 108 may make adetermination about various objects based on data that is provided bysystems other than the radio system. For example, the truck 100 may havelasers or other optical sensors configured to sense objects in a fieldof view of the vehicle. The computer system may use the outputs from thevarious sensors to determine information about objects in a field ofview of the vehicle. The computer system may determine distance anddirection information to the various objects. The computer system mayalso determine whether objects are desirable or undesirable based on theoutputs from the various sensors.

The wireless communication system may include wireless transmitters andreceivers that could be configured to communicate with devices externalor internal to the pilot car 200.

FIG. 4b is a block diagram of different units in the autonomous truck100 and the pilot car 200 according to an example embodiment.Especially, the control system 106 is adapted to communicate with thepilot car 200. According to the second embodiment, the pilot car 200 isprovided with similar systems as has been described above for theautonomous truck 100, such as a propulsion system 202, a sensor system204, a control system 206 and a computer system 208. For ease ofpresentation, the similar systems of the pilot car 200 will not befurther described here.

FIG. 5a is a schematic view of the autonomous truck according to FIG. 4aguided by the pilot car in an intersection. According to this example,the pilot car is driven in a way corresponding to driving of theautonomous truck. Regarding cornering, the pilot car is steered along apath 220 a around the corner corresponding to a turning radius of theautonomous truck. Thus, the pilot car 200 takes a longer route aroundthe corner than necessary tier the pilot car itself. Thus, theautonomous truck 100 follows a path 220 a commensurate with the path 210a of the pilot car 200. Further, due to the fact that a track requires alonger acceleration and deceleration distance than a car, preferably,the pilot car may also be driven in a corresponding way. Thus, in thecase the pilot car has a human driver, he must have the knowledge of thedriving characteristics of the truck. Alternatively, in the case thepilot car is an autonomous vehicle, it should be adapted according tothe driving characteristics of the truck.

FIG. 5b is a schematic view of the autonomous truck according to FIG. 4bguided by the pilot car in an intersection. In this case, the pilotvehicle is driven according, to its normal operation, at least withregard to cornering. Due to the fact that the autonomous truck 100 has alarger turning radius 220 than the pilot car 200, it does not completelyfollow the path 210 b of the pilot car 200 when the pilot car takes thecorner. Thus, the autonomous truck 100 follows a path 2201 deviatingfrom the path 210 b of the pilot car 200. Preferably, the pilot car maystill be driven in a way corresponding to driving of the autonomoustruck with regard to other driving operations, such as acceleration andbraking.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a first embodiment method, showing the stepperformed by the autonomous vehicle 100. The embodiment comprises thestep 12 of allowing guiding the autonomous vehicle 100 via the pilotvehicle 200 in the second driving mode of the autonomous vehicle 100.According to one example, the second driving mode is associated to thesecond geographic region 20 defined as “not secured for the first typeof autonomy”, wherein the autonomous truck is not allowed to be drivenaccording to the lint type of autonomy in the second geographic region.

FIG. 7a is a block diagram of a second embodiment method, showing thesteps performed by the autonomous vehicle 100. The embodiment comprisesin consecutive order the step 12 of allowing guiding the autonomousvehicle via the pilot car 200 in the second driving mode of theautonomous vehicle 100, as above, followed by the step 13 a of detectingmovements of the pilot car 200, as described above, and the step 14 a ofdriving the autonomous truck 100 based on the detection of the movementsof the pilot car 200.

FIG. 7b is a block diagram of a third embodiment method, showing thesteps performed by the autonomous vehicle 100. The embodiment comprisesin consecutive order the step 12 of allowing guiding the autonomousvehicle via the pilot car 200 in the second driving mode of theautonomous vehicle 100, as above, followed by the step 13 b of receivingcontrol signals in the form of navigation information from a controlunit 208 in the pilot car 200 and the step 14 b of driving theautonomous truck 100 based on the received control signals.

FIG. 7c is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment method, showing thesteps performed by the autonomous vehicle 100. The embodiment comprisesin consecutive order the step 12 of allowing guiding the autonomousvehicle via the pilot car 200 in the second driving mode of theautonomous vehicle 100, as above, followed by the step 13 c of receivingdriving control signals in the form of acceleration, braking andsteering signals from a control unit 208 in the pilot car 200 and thestep 14 c of driving the autonomous truck 100 based on the receiveddriving control signals.

FIG. 8a is a block diagram of a fifth embodiment method, showing thesteps performed by the autonomous truck 100 when the autonomous truck100 travels in the first geographic region 10, approaches and enters thesecond geographic region 20. The embodiment comprises in consecutiveorder the step 16 of driving the autonomous vehicle 100 based on drivingcontrol signals from a control unit 108 in the autonomous truck in thefirst driving mode, the step 17 of sending a signal requesting the pilotcar 200 to guide the autonomous vehicle and only initiate the guiding ofthe autonomous truck by the pilot car in the second driving mode afterreceipt of a confirmation signal from the pilot car in response to therequest. Further, the method comprises the consecutive steps 12-14according to any one of the second, third or fourth embodiment describedabove.

FIG. 8b is a block diagram of a variant of the fifth embodiment method,showing the steps performed by the autonomous vehicle 100 and the pilotvehicle 200. The steps performed by the autonomous vehicle 100 are thesame as in FIG. 8a . For ease of presentation, only the steps performedby the pilot vehicle 200 will be explained below. The method comprisesthe step 21 of the pilot vehicle 200 receiving the signal from theautonomous vehicle 100 requesting the pilot vehicle to guide theautonomous vehicle. The method further comprises the step 22 of thepilot vehicle 200 sending a confirmation signal to the autonomousvehicle 100.

FIG. 8c is a block diagram of a sixth embodiment method, showing thesteps performed by the autonomous truck 100 and the pilot car 200 forverifying that the pilot car is the correct lead vehicle. The methodcomprises the step 26 of the pilot car 200 communicating a predefinedidentification signal, such as a pattern or similar (signals, such asflashing a light in a certain way, or movements), to the autonomoustruck 100. The autonomous truck 100 receives 28 the identificationsignal and verifies 30 whether it is correct or not. If the pilot car200 is approved as leader, the method continues with the consecutivesteps 12-14 according to any one of the second, third or fourthembodiment described above. The sixth embodiment may of course becombined with the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a traffic system for monitoring aplurality of autonomous trucks and the pilot cars in differentgeographic regions defined as “secured for autonomy” and “not securedfor autonomy”. The traffic system comprises a Global Positioning Systemcomprising a plurality of satellites 400. The satellites 400 monitor theposition of a plurality of autonomous vehicles 100, 100′ in the secondgeographic region 10 and a plurality of autonomous vehicles 100″ and aplurality of pilot vehicles 200, 200′ and 200′″ in the first geographicregion 20. Further, the traffic system comprises a central unit 500,which receives information about the positions of the vehicles from thesatellites. Further, the central unit 500 determines the direction ofthe autonomous vehicles and a time of arrival of each one of theautonomous vehicles at the respective check-in point and check-outpoint. Further, the central unit 500 is adapted for determining thelocation and possibly direction of the pilot vehicles checkingavailability for guiding an autonomous vehicle approaching a check-inpoint. Further, the central unit 500 is adapted for communicating withthe autonomous vehicles and pilot vehicles for pairing a certainautonomous vehicle with a certain pilot vehicle.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, theskilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may bemade within the scope of the appended claims.

According to one application, a plurality of autonomous trucks 100 maybe driven in a convoy in the first geographic region 10 (on thehighway). Depending on the number of autonomous trucks 100 that isplanned to depart, from the first geographic region 10 at a specificcheck-out point, a corresponding number of pilot cars 200 are requestedto meet up at the check out point, wherein each pilot car guides asingle, dedicated one of the autonomous trucks 100 to its respectivedestination within the second geographic region 20.

According to a further application, the autonomous vehicle may insteadof a truck be formed by a construction machine, such as a wheel loaderor a dumper. The first geographic region may then be a region withlimited public access, such as a construction site, for example a mine.The second geographic region may be a public road, which theconstruction machine needs to travel to or from the construction site,wherein a pilot car is associated to a construction machine for guidingthe construction machine in the second geographic region.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle with autonomous drivingcapability, wherein the autonomous vehicle is adapted for at least twodifferent driving modes comprising a first driving mode configured for afirst type of autonomous driving and a second driving mode configuredfor the autonomous vehicle being guided by a pilot vehicle in such amanner that the autonomous vehicle follows the pilot vehicle,characterized in that the first driving mode is associated to a firstgeographic region defined as secured for the first type of autonomy,wherein the autonomous vehicle is allowed to be driven in the first typeof autonomy in the first geographic region and wherein the seconddriving mode is associated to a second geographic region defined as notsecured for the first type of autonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicleis not allowed to be driven in the first type of autonomy in the secondgeographic region.
 2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the firsttype of autonomy comprises a fully or substantially fully autonomousdriving.
 3. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first type ofautonomy is adapted for autonomously driving the vehicle towards adestination in response to received driving instructions regarding aroute or destination.
 4. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein thefirst type of autonomy is adapted for autonomously driving the vehicletowards a destination without any pilot vehicle guidance.
 5. A vehicleaccording to claim 1, wherein the second driving mode is configured fora second type of autonomy, which comprises an autonomous following ofthe pilot vehicle.
 6. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein theautonomous vehicle comprises means for detecting a movement of the pilotvehicle and corresponding to the detected movement driving theautonomous vehicle behind the pilot vehicle.
 7. A vehicle according toclaim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises means for detecting anorientation or direction of the pilot vehicle or a distance between theautonomous vehicle and the pilot vehicle.
 8. A vehicle according toclaim 1, wherein the second driving mode is configured for anon-autonomous driving mode.
 9. A vehicle according to claim 1, whereinthe first driving mode is configured for driving the autonomous vehiclebased on navigation and/or driving control signals generated by acontrol unit in the autonomous vehicle.
 10. A vehicle according to claim9, wherein the second driving mode is configured for driving theautonomous vehicle based on navigation and/or driving control signalsgenerated by a control unit in the pilot vehicle.
 11. A vehicleaccording to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises means forverifying that a vehicle has the capacity for being the pilot vehicle.12. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle is agoods or material transporting vehicle.
 13. A vehicle according to claim1, wherein the autonomous vehicle is a truck.
 14. A traffic controlsystem comprising at least one vehicle with autonomous drivingcapability, wherein the autonomous vehicle is adapted for at least twodifferent driving modes comprising a first driving mode configured for afirst type of autonomous driving and a second driving mode configuredfor the autonomous vehicle being guided by a pilot vehicle in such amanner that the autonomous vehicle follows the pilot vehicle, at leastone pilot vehicle, a control means having a processor and a data storagestoring thereon a software code the software code causing the processorto perform defining a first geographic region defined as secured for thefirst type of autonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicle is allowed to bedriven in the first type of autonomy in the first geographic region, anda second geographic region defined as not secured for the first type ofautonomy, wherein the autonomous vehicle is not allowed to be driven inthe first type of autonomy in the second geographic region, wherein thepilot vehicle has the capacity to drive in the second geographic regionand is allowed to guide the autonomous vehicle in the second geographicregion.